Dubai's Huge 1 GW Solar Power Project Will Take 18 Years To Build

We haven't seen a project announced of this size in some time, though a couple years ago a number were proposed and then fell apart in one way or another. At least in the Middle East though serious large-scale solar power projects are still on the table.

Details are a bit thin, but Gulf News and PV Magazine both report that the United Arab Emirates is planning a 1 GW solar power project, the Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Solar Park, that will use both photovoltaic panels and concentrating solar power.

Covering 48 square kilometers outside of Dubai, the $3.25 billion project is expected to be completed by 2030, with the first phase (just 10 MW) completed by the end of 2013.

Though the UAE apparently does see the writing on the wall in regards to what the future holds for oil, its renewable energy target for Dubai is actually rather paltry: 1% by 2020 and 5% by 2030. Come on...